A First Ever A-Category Certified Golf Coach in Bangladesh

Mohammad Faridul Islam (born on March 10, 1977) is a Bangladeshi golf teaching professional. He started his journey with golf in 1990 from Kurmitola Golf Club (KGC). He has recently completed the National Golf Academy of India and The Indian Golf Union's (level 4) "A" category golf coach certification course successfully with 89.5 marks out 100. The National Golf Academy of India is the first accredited programme for teaching professionals in the country. The programme is supported by the Indian Golf Union, The R&A and the PGA of Europe.

Question: MrFarid, you two (you &MdFardeen Islam) have become the first ever "A" category certified golf coaches in Bangladesh, so how is your feeling now?
Answer: Alhamdulillah. First of all I'm thankful to Almighty Allah for blessing me with this honor and respectful status for the first time in Bangladesh. We two have passed the India's height level "A" category golf coach certification course this year. I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude, thanks and credits to the Bangladesh Golf Federation, my previous & present working golf clubs committees for their help and support to me. Thanks and gratitude to all individuals specially to Brig Gen Salim Aktar (retd), Brig Gen Mohiuddin Siddique (retd) R&A level 3 certified Rules Referee, and also to Lt Col Farid (retd) for their help and support to me always through BGF and BGA. Honor, gratitude and credits goes to my respected golf Guru, India's senior top legend professional golfer, teaching staff NGAI, Director India's no: 1 Protouch Golf Academy, MrIndrajitBhalotia. for making me a well-trained golf coach on Swing science and Ball flight laws. Besideshe trained me Junior Golf Development program, Mentoring Champions (basic level), Kids sports phycology, and finally a specialist on the Short Game of golf.

Q: When and how did you first start playing golf?
A: It was 1990 some of the top Bangladeshi professional golfers like MrAtowar Rahman (First professional golfer and teaching pro of Bangladesh), Mr Chan mia, MrKadir, Mr Karim, MrBabu Ahmed. I've seen their game and followed them initially. At that young age it became a dream to me to learn and play golf. I always had spent my free time around them to see and enjoy their nice shots; also I often tried to copy their swing to play a shot like them. I did that continuously almost 4 years.

Q: How did your turn-up to a golf coach from a golfer? Have you ever realized or dreamed about it?
A: Obviously my dream was to become a professional golfer first and I did so. Actually after completing my HSC at 1994, I saw the then most prestigious golf tournament "Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship" organized by KGC. National players were participating from various countries and they won the champion trophy every year. Their golfing skill was much standard as compared to our golfers at that time. Then I realized we did not have any well skilled golf coach in Bangladesh. Though KGC used to hire coaches from abroad for 10/15 days in a year and rest of the year our players were going with their own style. Then I started learning golf tips and lessons from world's top golf players and coaches' books mostly on Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Ban Hogan and many other coaches' lessons from monthly golf magazines and also by collecting video cassettes from abroad. This is how my dream was changed to become a coach.

Q: When and where did you first start your professional career as a coach?
A: In the year of 2001 from KGC, I first joined at Mainamoti Golf and Country Club as a full time golf instructor and then for a short time coach in BGA, KGC, AGC and now as head coach of RGCC.

Q: As we knew you have achieved many other certification courses on golf, so how can you describe the valuation of other courses and "A" category course?
A: I completed the "D" category teaching professional course in 2015, "C" category teaching professional course in 2016 and "B" category teaching professional course in 2018 from NGAI. I completed Junior golf development program course in 2016 from ProTouch Golf Academy, Kolkata, India. And this year, I have successfully completed "A" category certification course. To me "D" category coach is like Primary School level teacher, "C" category coachis like High school level teacher, "B" category coach is like College level teacher. Then "A" category coach is like a master expert of all aspects on golf swing science and ball flight laws. To become an "A" category coach, every certified "B" category coach needs to submit own created presentation with a specific topic of golf on the 1st day of "A"exam with minimum of 30 slides and have to present it to the Teaching Staff and other attendees for 45 minutes. Only after passing with presentation, he/she will be eligible for the final theory exam as well as with practical, class room conversion and interactions.

Q: What was your presentation topic and why did you choose that?
A: My presentation topic was "The Short Game of Golf" with 51 slides. And I selected this topic to become a specialist on "The Short Game" as we know that short game has always been very important to the golfers. Because 50% of the shots are playing within 100 yardage area around the green nd almost 70% of the scores go on short game. So, if a golfer improves the short game ultimately, the golfer increases the ability to reduce the number of putting stroke as well as improves the entire score of the whole game.

Q: What is your achievement in last decade being a coach?
A: Some of my students MdAkbor, MdRasel, MdForhad played top least of Bangladesh National Golf Team from 2014 to 2019 and they won many National level Championships and Runners-Up positions from many top prestigious tournaments in Bangladesh and National level tournament in abroad. My student MdRasel got the Runner-Up position on the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final 2017 u21 at Vietnam. Now all they are playing on the professional level. Besides professionals I'm teaching some juniors amateurs at RGCC (sponsor by Runner Group) and preparing them for Bangladesh National Golf Team as well as professional in future.

Q: We are not getting any new Bangladeshi face on tour except Siddikur Rahman. What is your opinion regarding this?
A: Siddikur Rahman is a Bangladeshi legend golfer and he is a very talented golfer too. Besides Siddikur, Jamal Hossain Mollahis also performing very well in the Indian PGTI TOUR.Shakhawat Hossain Sohel once won the Asian Development Tour in Malaysia. There are many other very talented young star golfers on the line like Zakiruzzaman, BadalHossan, Akbor, Rasel, Somrat, Porosh, Dulal, Forhad, Anaf and around 15 other talented professionals of Bangladesh Golf Federation. I personally believe that they have enough potential to do better in the Asian Tour as well as PGA Tour. But I think the main difficulties with them are falling out from the fild, not having enough professional tournaments and lack of media exposure, lack of financial support from personal sponsors, and also from National Sports Council as well as from sports ministry.

Q: As an "A" category coach, what is your ambition for our golfers as well as your own?
A: Bangladesh Golf Federation has already established a Golf Academy BGA and have two world class level "A" category certified coaches this year. Besidesthere are 5 other "B" and "C" category coaches too. But I think we are still far away from modern technologies like Track Man, Sam Putt Lab, K-vest, 3D Motion swing analysis system, weight shift plate, which can give data of exactly what happened in the swing and the ball flight. I hope that will be included soon in Bangladesh Golf Academy. Personally my ambition is to help make our golfers flourish as international standards as well as to enrich my own golf knowledge on science and technology. I've already started researching on top 50 legendary golfers and some Hall of Fame of the golf world to establish a new concept of effortless golf swing. My first golf book is going to be published very soon named "The Encyclopedic of Short Game".

Q: What is your suggestion for our rising star golfers? Say a few words for them.
A: I would like to say one thing for our golfers,"Never give up your faith and dream. Keep focus on your goal and give your 100%. Success will be yours. Inshallah."